During the summer of 2010, separate news articles were released to the southeastern states proclaiming the rapid spread of three specific destructive pests. On July 27, a pest alert announced the discovery of thousand cankers disease in East Tennessee. On that same day, a second media release reported the presence of emerald ash borer in Knox County, also in Tennessee. The following day, July 28, a professor of entomology from Mississippi State University sent a warning to Alabama declaring that laurel wilt disease was rapidly approaching our state line. Although this was alarming news for Alabama forest landowners, there are specific actions that can be taken to prepare for these possible threats to our native trees. We have the opportunity to begin monitoring targeted forest areas for detection of these three new pests. The Early Detection and Rapid Response protocol is established precisely for this particular purpose, a proactive approach for identifying, locating, and controlling invasive pests.
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